(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for separating nested articles, and more particularly relates to an apparatus for continuously separating one or more stacks of nested, cup-shaped containers.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Machines or apparatus have been heretofore developed for separating nested, cup-shaped items, such as metal or plastic containers, from a stack thereof to permit the individual containers to be filled with food products, or the like, for subsequent closure and protection by a lid. Examples of apparatus capable of performing the aforementioned separating function are disclosed in Mueller U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,212, Medendorp U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,019, Crabtree U.S. Pat. No. 3,283,955 and Frederick et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,379,346 patents.
In order to maintain continuous operation, many of the de-nesting apparatus heretofore advanced employed feed mechanisms for feeding additional stacks of nested containers into the separating mechanism prior to or upon depletion of a previously supplied stack. Examples of feed mechanisms for intermittently feeding stacks of nested containers to a separating mechanism are disclosed in DiGrande U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,041, Rockola U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,691, Olsen U.S. Pat. No. 1,881,894 and Kopera U.S. Pat. No. 3,347,413 patents.
While the aforementioned prior art container separating and feed mechanisms were capable of performing their intended functions, they were not entirely satisfactory for various reasons, such as complexity of construction and lack of reliability in operation. These and other considerations, rendered the aforementioned prior art devices unsuitable for use in applications where it is necessary to continually supply individual containers to a point of use, such as a food product dispensing machine, over long periods of time and without human supervision.